After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love.

A little while ago, I had to go out with another woman. It was really my wife's idea.

"I know that you love her," she said one day, taking me by surprise.

"But I love you," I protested.

"I know, but you also love her."

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

"What's wrong, are you well?" she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news.

"I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you," I responded.

"Just the two of us?" She thought about it for a moment, then said, "I would like that very much."

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited at the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was a radiant as an angel's.

"I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting,"

We went to a restaurant that although not elegant, was very nice and cozy.

"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she started our conversation at the table.

"Then it is time that you relax and let me return the favour," I responded.

During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation -nothing extraordinary- but catching up on recent events of each other's life. I felt that it was a great dinner.

We talked so much that we missed the movie. We went back hoping that we would go out together again sometime.

"How was your dinner date?" Asked my wife when I got home.

"Very nice. Much more than I could have imagine," I answered.

A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I did not have a chance to do anything for her.

However, I felt very happy when later on I found a note in her house addressing it to me : "You never know how much that night meant to me. I love you."

At that moment I understood the importance of saying, in time : I love You and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.Nothing in life is more important than your family.Give them the time they deserve because these things can't be put off till "some other time".